Losing Innocence

3

       Chase hated himself for not calling sooner but he'd been so busy training at the gym. The next match he was scheduled for was against a tough opponent and he had to win; he needed the money. So over the past few days, he'd been going to and from the gym, only resting to sleep. His game was off though, and he couldn't concentrate at all because his thoughts kept drifting to Madi. On the fourth day, he couldn't take it anymore. He'd had yet another horrible session at the gym, which resulted in his current state; bruised and battered up. It wasn't anything he wasn't used to, but the injuries were still painful enough to have him writhing in pain. It was honestly unnatural for him to have gone this long without so much as having heard her voice. So when he got back home the first thing he did was contact Madi. He'd sounded horrible over the phone, but he didn't care, he just needed to see her.

      When Madi finally reached Chase's apartment, the first thing he noticed was that she wasn't wearing an annoying oversized sweater. She had changed out of the white medical grade dress uniform and instead wore a pair of black leggings, and a pink t-shirt topped with a denim jacket. She was so beautiful, he caught himself thinking. He loved the way her braids framed her face. He watched the way her breasts moved as she made her way to him.

          "You're here." He sounded breathless, but it was hard to confine his excitement.

          "Hi."

      He helped her out of her jacket and hung it up on the coat hanger by his door along with her purse. When he made his way back to her, Madi noticed that Chase was limping slightly. She also noticed fresh bruises on his face, alongside the older ones that had started to fade.

          "Are you okay?" She asked concern etched on her face. Her brows furrowed as she analyzed him further and noticed a wet spot on his dark shirt. When Chase realized where Madi's eyes had fallen, he tried to move away but she was already in front of him, lifting his shirt up to have a better look.

          "Chase-" She began. Somehow when it came to him, her shyness flew out the window. Madi gasped as she saw a bloody gauze, poorly covering a very nasty wound. "This needs to be looked at."

          Chase shrugged his shoulders, unbothered. "Just a little bruised up." He mumbled and looked away. Madi led him to the kitchen and he slowly hopped up on the counter.

"You're more than just bruised up Chase, you might actually need stitches." Much like the last time they had been in this situation, she finds herself treating his wound.

          "Do you have a suture kit ?"

...........................................................................................................................

      Now at the table, Madi was threading the needle with much difficulty because Chase had removed his shirt. Though distracting, she managed to ask about what happened.

          "I was sparring with another fighter at the gym and things got ugly." He explained simply. Madi nodded her head in understanding as she took in that detail.

          "So you're like a boxer?"

          "I'm an underground fighter," Chase said while smiling at her. He thought her question was cute. God, he could not believe how soft he's being right now. "They host fight nights at the nearby gym-" Madi leaned down poking through his skin with the needle and he hissed- "we get paid for our wins." She thought back to the day she met him and realized where his bruises had come from. She shook her head lightly, but still managed to crack a smile at that memory. She was glad to have bumped into him. But still, she wondered why he had waited so long to call. Once Madi mustered up enough courage she asked, "Why didn't you call?". Chase tensed up a little.